Driving mechanism for washing machines



w. c. BAUER. DRIVING MECHANtSM-FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLIQATION FILED NOV. 19, l9l9.

1,405,657, 7 'Iatefited Feb. 7, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I N V EN TORI ATTORNEY.

Walier 61 54126;,"

W. C. BAUER/ DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION r1151) NOV-19,1919.

1,405,657, Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

22 4 WITNESS; 23 66 -4 2 36 l8 INVENTOR.

- 7 W423???" 6. Bauer I {1 Q. 4. M I BY A TTORNEY.

WALTER C. BAUER, OF KANSAS CITY, IMZIS SO'URI.

DRIVING MECHANISM son. ASHING meonimns,

Specification or IlettersiIat'enti RatentedFeb. 7, 1922.

Application flled November 19,1919.- SeriaI No. 389,079 I To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALTER C. BAUER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Driving Mechanism for ashing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in driving mechanism .for washing machines, wherein the washing of clothes and other articles is accomplished by placing the clothesin a cylinder which revolves in hot watercontaining soap or other detergents, said cylinder making one or more revolutions in a one direction, then automat ically reversing and making one; or -more revolutions in the opposite direction to agitate the water and expose all parts of the clothes or other articles being washed to the cleansing efi'ect'ofsuch water.

The objects of the invention are, first, to produce a power driven washin machine, in which reversal of the cylin er is positively effected.v V

Second, to eliminate-the operator from liability of accident usually involved in operating machinesof this type. j

Third, to minimize the amountot power required" to operate the machine; and fourth to eliminate all gearing inside the body of the machine. 7

"Other objects of the invention hereinatter appear, and in order that said in? vention may be fully understood, reference Will now be had to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 1s a side elevation partly in section of a washing machine constructed in ac- I with? an antlfriction roller 56, for engagecordance with the invention.

"Fig. 2 is a broken vertical SGOtlOIl on line IIII of Fig. 1. V p v Fig. 3 is abroken elevation of a portion of the frame and-gear casing.

Fig. 4 is a broken horizontal section on line IV--IV of Fig. 1. 7 I

Fig. 5 is Ian enllarged broken {vertical section on line V-V of Fig. 3.

Fig.- 6 is an enlarged horizontal on line VI of Fig. 1. e

r In carryying out the invention, I employ a suitable tub 2, mounted on a frame 4 embodying legs6.

8 designates a cylindrical agitator r0- section tata-bly mounted Within the. tub '2 and *a shaft. 18, journaled :in .gear case 22, secured to one slde of the frame. 4 and provided. with a, removable adapted to receive the v clothes and other articles to be washed. .Saidmylinder" 8 is mounted upon trunnions; 1 0 journaled .in bearings onthe' frame 4. One of the trunnion s.10 is rovided at its outer end with alarge fixe ly-mountedbevel gear 12, in-

.termeshing with small oppositely-disposed bevel gears 14 and .16'loosely mounted upon 20 in a cover23. The shaft-'18 is provided near one "end with a fixedly mounted'bevel gear 24 intermeshingwitha bevel gear 26, fixedly-mounted upon a shaft 28 which may be utilized .for driving a wringer, not shown.1'- h The shaft 18 is driven by a fixedly-mounted 'worm'wheel 30 tintermeshing ,with a worm- 32', fixedly mounted uponva shaft 34 'journaled in bearings-.36 andv provided at one" end withray'pulley 38 adapted to be driven by a beltand-motonnot shown. The bevel gears 14 and 16 are provided with clutch members 40 and '42, respectively,

' which are alternately engaged and driven 'by a clutch member 44 having a groove and feather connection 46 with the shaft 18.

Coil springs 47 are interposed between the ends of the clutch m'ember44 and the clutch members 40 and 42, for a-purpose which will hereinafter appear.

The clutch member 44 is controlled by a lever 48, fulorumed in the gear case 22 on a stud 50.' The lever 48 is provided intermediate itsends with an antifriction roller 52, projecting into a peripheral groove 54 in the clutch member 44. a

'The lower end of the lever 48 is "provided ment with. a. plunger 58, reoiprocablyupper'end and 1S pressed upwardly into engagement with the roller 56 by a sprin 62, arranged in thelower portion of the oss 60 and adjusted vertically by a set screw 64,

threaded in the lower end of the boss 60.

' 66 designates a link pivotally connected at one end to the upper portion of the lever 48 and at its opposite end to a crank 68 mounted to oscillate upon a shaft '70,

ijournaled' in the gear case 22 and provided 'with 'a fixedly-mounted-cog wheel 72 intermeshing with a pinion 74, formed integral with or otherwise secured to the hub of the large bevel gear wheel 12. The cog wheel 72 is provided with a wrist pin 71, to oscillate the crank 68, as will hereinafter appear.

78 designates a pin forsecuring the leverv 48 in neutral position when it is desired to stop the, cylinder 8 without stopping the motor. Said pin 78 is slidably mounted in a tubular housing 80 on the case cover 23, and has an enlarged terminal 82 at its'inner end and a. crank 84 'fixedto its outer end. -A coil" spring 86 interposed between a. shoulder in the housing 80 and the enlarged terminal '82 on the pin 78, tends to push said pin into an opening 88 in the lever 48 andthus securethe latter in neutral position, as above-mentioned. A lug 90 is formed onthe crank 84 and adapted to'enter a recess 92 in the ad'acentend of'the housing 80 tolet the pin 8 enter the opening 88 :in the lever 48. pin 78--is withdrawn from the opening88 byfrotating the crank '84 a quarter f a revolution "to. causethe lug 90 to'ride out of the recess 92 and .Wlthdraw the pin 78 'as-above-mentioned.

- .The operation issubstantiallyasfollows: The lever 48 is released 'frgm neutral position and. then automatically shifted to the right .or .leftby u'pward movement-10f the plunger '58. Motionis-then imparted :to the 'driveipulleyv38, which in turn drives the worm 32, the worm wheel 30,'and the shaft 18; Assuming that the clutch-member 44 was shifted intoengagement. with the clutch 1nember-40, byithe lever 48, said clutch member 40 will then drive the small bevel gear .14, which in turn drives the cylinder '8 through the intermediacy of the large'bevel gear '12 and the trunnionlO on which said bevel gear. 12 is fixedly mounted. As the large bevel gear 12 rotates itcarries the pinion 74 therewith, which in turndrives the cogiwheel 72. Assuming thatthe cog wheel 72 'iscaused to rotate in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, it carries the wrist pin 71"around intoengagement'with the left side of the crank 68 and pushes the same to'the right. As the crank68 swings 'to the right it pushes the lever 48in the same direction through the 'intermediacy ofthe link 66- until the clutch member 44 is disengaged.

from the'clutch'member 40 and the roller 1 56 reaches the apex 'of the plunger 58,

' whereupon it is carried beyond said apex by the momentum of the cylinder 8. l The instant the roller 56 passes the apex of the plunger 58'the same is instantly pushed up- 'w'ardly by the spring '62 and completes the .throw of the lever 48, causing it'to shift'the clutch member 44 quickly into, engagement with the clutch member 42 ofzthe beveligear s 16. :Said bevelgear '16then drives the cylinder 8 ina reverse direction. through the "inte'rmediacy'of the, large bevel gear 12 and Vthe. trunnion 10. The. bevel gear 12'carries ent, is: s s 1-. In a washing machine, a tub, a cylintder mounted in said tub, a large bevel gear the pinion 74 ina reverse direction and causes it to reverse the dlrectlon of travel of the cog wheel 72, so that the same will "carry the wristpin 71 around into engagement with the right side of the crank'68, moving it to the left. As the crank 68 swings to the left, it swings'the lever 48 therewith through the intermediacy of the link 66 until the clutch member 44 is disengaged from the clutch member 42 and reaches the apex of the plunger 58, across which it is'carried by the momentum of the cylinder 8. The foregoing operations are repeated until the lever 48 i'sksecured in neutral position by the pin 78. f

i rom the foregoing description it will be readily understood that I have produced 'a driving mechanism washing. machine embodying the advantages above pointed out :and while I have shown andfdescribedfithe preferred form of the invention'l reserve the right 'to make such'changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of .partsasproperly fall within the spiritiand scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, What ;I claim and desire to secure by- Letters Patto rotate said cylinder in reverse directions, a pair of small bevel gears constantlylin mesh with said large bevelgear at opposite sides of its axis, a rotary shaft; on which said small, bevel gears are loosel mounted, a- 7 clutch on the rotary shaft to'a ternatelylock and stop the rotation of the=cylinder,-a link to swing saidlever throngh a .partof each stroke, a crank to actuate said link, means geared to the cylinder to oscillate said crank, V and means for completing the strokes of said lever. 7. 7

2. Ina washing machine, a tub, a cylinder mountedin said tub, a large bevel gear to rotate said cylinder in reverse directions,-'a pairof small bevel gears constantly in mesh with said large bevel gear. at opposite sides of its axis, va rotary shaft on which said small bevel gears are loosely mounted, a

clutch on the'rotary: shaft toalternately'lock the small bevel='gears on said shaft, an oscillatory lever to release said clutch and cause it to alternately lock the small bevel gears, on the shaft, alink. to swing said lever through a part ofeachstrokeya crank to actuate said link, means geared' to the cylinder to oscillate said crank, comprising-a wristpm to actuate sald crank, and a'wheel geared to the cylinder and carrying said wrist-pin, and means for completing the strokes of said lever.

3. In a washing l'naehine a tub, a cylinder mounted in said tub, means for driving said cylinder in reverse directions embodying an oscillatory lever, a pin to lock said lever in neutral position, a tubular housing secured to the tub and through which said pin operably extends, a spring tending to force the pin into engagement with the lever, and a handlefixed to the pin and provided with means to coact with the tubular housing in withdrawing the pin from the lever when said handle is rotated.

In testimony WhereofI aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

WVALTER C. BAUER.

Vitnesses F. G. FISCHER, L. J. F I/SCHER. 

